Folding harrow



H. S. FLOM FOLDING HARROW 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1"") 1925 Jan. 13, 1925. 1,522,675

H. s. FLOM FOLDING HARROW Filed se i". 15, 1923 s sheets-sheet 2 Jan. 1925- 1,522,675

I H. s. FLOM FOLDING HARR OW Filed Sept. 13, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

FFECE HANS S. FLOIYI, 0F MAHNOMEN, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING: HARROWQ I Application filed September To all whom it may concern Be it known that Hans. S. FLoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mahnomen, in the county of Mahnomen and State of Minnesota, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Harrows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a folding harrow and has for its principal object to provide a means whereby a harrow provided with a plurality of sections may be readily and easily folded into an inoperative position whenever it is desired to move the harrow from place to place when not in use;

Another important object of the invention is to provide a folding harrow of the above mentioned character, wherein a number of harrows may be pivotally associated with a centrally located harrow in order to enable the harrows extending outwardly from the sides of the centrally located one to be folded thereupon so as to reduce the width of the completed and extended harrow in order to enable the same to be readily moved through doors, sheds, and the like of a restricted width. I

Another important object of the invention is to provide a folded harrow of the above mentioned character, which is furthermore provided with means whereby the sections hingedly connected to the central harrow may be supported in an extended position when the harrows are in use and will furthermore prevent the accidental collapsing of the harrows thereby rendering the same inoperative.

Another object of the invention is'to provide a folding. harrow of the above men tioned character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong, durable and further well adapted for the purpose for which it is designated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the same 1 Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the harrow in extended position and my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the harrows in a folded position, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the bracket.

13, 1923. Serial No. 662,519.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the U-shaped members.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the U-shaped member.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail plan View partly in section, showing the connecting means between an end and the center section.

Figure 7 is an end view of the bracket.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates generally the sections forming my complete harrow and these sections are of the usual construction known in the art and it is not thought necessary to further go into detail as to the construction of the harrow sections as they form no particular feature of my invention. Adapted to be associated wlth the harrow sections 1 is the e-vener designated generally by the numeral 2 and the evener comprises a central member 3 and the end members as shown at 4 and 5 respectively. These members 3, 4 and 5 respectively are secured to the sections 1 by the suitable links 6 associated with the forward end of the sections whereby the sections are supported in proper alinement with respect to the evener.

The adjacent ends of the end sections 4 and 5 with the central member 3 are spaced from each other as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the drawings and are adapted to be hingedly or pivotally associated with each other in the manner as hereinafter to be more fully described. The end sections 4 and 5 have their inner and outer faces provided with supporting plates 7 and 8 respectively and the free ends thereof extend beyond the inner ends of the end members and are provided with registering apertures 9 and 10 respectively. These plates 7 and 8 are secured to the outer and inner faces of the end members by any suitable fastening means such as shown at- 11 in the drawings. The central member is also provided at each end thereof on the outer and inner sides of the same with similar plates 13 and 14 and these plates have their outer ends extending beyond the end of the central member in a manner similar to that in which the plates 7 and 8 of the end members are arranged, as heretofore described and these plates 13 and 14 are also provided with registering apertures 15 and 16 in the outer free ends thereof and are adapted to register with the apertures 17 and 18 provided in the auxihiary plates19;.and20- as will be hereinafter more fully described. The plates 13 and-14 carried by the end of the central member 3 are secured by means of theibolts ,11 and are held in proper position thereon.

The auxiliary plates 19 and 20 which have apertures provided adjacent each end thereof are adapted to be associated withthe outwardlyextending portions of the plates 7 and 13' and 8' and 14'respectively so that the apertures 17 and 18 in'one' of the ends of the auxiliary plates register with the" apertures 15 and 16 provided in the outwardly su itablematerial." Each b'racket2tis fur-' thermoreprovided with'the outwardly extending portions 25 and26 respectively and these rojections are preferably formed adjacent 'th'e endso'f the brackets. Itisto be further understood that the end portions 27 a n jd 28 respectively are thicker than the remaining portlon of the bracket.

These end portions 27 and '28 of each brac'liet"24 as 'well' as the projections'25 and 26 extending outwardly therefrom are provided with longitudinally extending bores 29 and 30 respectively. The purpose of such a construction is tof'enable the brackets to be "soplaced b'etweenthe adjoining edges of theend members with the central member that"thelongitudinally extending bores 29 and'30 willregister with the-apertures 15, 17, and16' and 18 and 9 and 22 andlO and 23jre'sp'e'ctively whereby means are provided forreceivingthe bolts 81 and32 respectively, In this manner the end members eland 5 respectively and the harrow sections carriedth'ereby are adapted to be hingedly support'edjon the central member 3 through the medium of the brackets 24 as will be hereinaftermor'e fully described.

The outer faces of the enlarged portions 27 and 28of the brackets 24 are provided with serrations 33 and 34 respectively and these serrations extend around the lower portion'of the projections 25 and 26. Suitable U shaped' members designated by the numeral 35 in general are adapted to be associated with the adjoining ends of'the end and central members in such a to' have the arms 36 and 37 of each U-shaped member straddling the upper ends of each ofthe adjoining ends and. central member and's'upporte'd thereon by means of the b lts manner as 558.- Thecrown-portion 39 0f each ofthe lJ-shapcd memb'ers '35 is enlarged and is also provided with a bore 40 which is of the diameter-"slightly, greater than that of the projections 25 and 26 whereby the crown portions 39 of the U-shaped members will be adapted to be received upon these projections." The bottom face of each of the U- shaped members 35 and preferably of the.

crown portion 39' thereof is alsofser'rated as shown attl in the drawingsforthe purpose" of' coope'ration wi'th'th'e serrations and34 provided on' the outerfaces ofthe j enlarged end men'ibers27 and 28- respective- 39 of each U-shaped member is furthermore provided with an'ann'ularrecess" or groove as'shown' at42 inthe drawings for the purpose of receiving and supporting theinner portion of a suitablecoil spring 13. The opp'ositeend of'the coil 'spring43is adapted to extend beyond the outerface of the crown portion of the U-shaped niember and also enclosesthe projection 'providedon the enlarged end portion of'each' bracket in the manner as'more clearly shown in the drawings.

l/Vhe'n in position, it will be seen'from the" drawlngs that the brackets 2 1 are mounted onth e'bolts' 31 and 32 b'etween the adjoining ends of the end and central membersfso thatthe' inner faces of the enlarged neck portions 'ofthe brackets will fit against the.

outer faces of theprojecting ends of "the plates 8 and 14. The U-shaped member'35 being secured to theupperend of the ad joining and central members will have its crown portion mounted onthe projections 25 and 2610f the brackets 2i and the coil spring 43rsupp0rted in eachof the crown portions of the U-shaped finembers will have its outer free end in, engagement with the inner faces'of'the plates 7 and 13' respectively whereby the serrations 41 provided on the inner facesof the U-shaped members" will be in engagementwith the serrations 33' and '34 provided on the outer faces of the enlarged end portions 27 and 28 0f the brackets 24.

The bolts 31 and 32 which extend'through theenlarged ends of the brackets 24: and through the plates and U-shaped members carried byeach of'the' end members and central member are adapted to extend beyond the outer faces of the ends and central member for a suitable distance and are also adapted toreceive thereon the links designated by the numeral 44. These links extend from the bolt 32 to the bolt 31 and are held thereon by" any suitable means" and the links 1-5 extend'in'g'from the bolt 31' to a ring 16 to which is attached the doubletree 4:7 whereby suitable draft ap pliance is provided. A turn buckle rod 48 isadapted" to extend fflOm" each of the end members to the bolt 32 and the central member 3 is provided with a suitable bolt 49 which is also associated with the rings 46 by means of the links or rods 50.

By varying the length of the central and end members, any number of harrow sections may be attached thereto and as will be seen from the drawings when it is de sired to mold the end members 4 and 5 and the sections of harrows carried thereby upon the central member 3, the former are raised and as they are raised upwardly against the tension of the coil spring 43 the serrated faces of the U-shaped members will become disengaged from the serrated faces of the brackets 24 whereby the end members may be swung upon the projections on the brackets 24 so as to fold the end members inwardly upon the central member. In order to further permit one of the end members and the sections of harrows carried thereby to fit over the first folded end section it will be necessary to provide one of the end members and the adjoining or adjacent end of the central member with connecting plates of slightly greater length than those associated with the opposite adjoining ends. However, this detail can be taken care of in various manners and it is not thought necessary to further go into detail as to the same for the reason that the construction shown and described is sufficient to show that the end sections will properly fold upon the central member whenever it is desired to move the sections of harrows from place to place.

The purpose of the serrations is to provide a means whereby the end members and the sections of harrows associated therewith will be at all times kept in an operative position while the same are extended and will not be accidentally disengaged therefrom so as to permit the members to move with respect to the central member so as to affect the proper operation of the harrows carried by the end members.

The simplicity of my device enables a number of sections of harrows to be associated with an evener in a manner which enables the same to be easily and quickly connected and does not require the use of a number of complicated tools to adjust the same into an operative or inoperative posltion.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved apparatus, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, an evener including a central member and end members, harrows associated therewith, brackets supported between the adjacent ends of said central and end members, means extending from the adjacent end members and central member for pivotally mounting said end members on said brackets whereby said sections may be folded inwardly on said central member.

2. In a device of the class described, an evener including a central member and end members, harrows associated therewith, brackets supported between the adjacent ends of said central and end members, means extending from the adjacent end members and central member for pivotally mounting said end members on said brackets whereby said sections may be folded inwardly on said central member, and means for normally holding said end members in an extended position.

3. In a device of the class described, an evener including a central member and adjacent end members, harrows associated therewith, supporting plates extending outwardly from the ends of said adjacent central and end members, brackets supported between said outwardly extending plates between said adjacent end and central members, a U-shaped member carried by said central and end members for pivotally supporting the same on said brackets, and means for normally holding said end members in an extended position.

4. In a device of the class described, an evener including acentral member and end members, plates secured to the outer and inner faces of said members and extend ing beyond the ends thereof, brackets supported between said plates and said adjoining end and central members, a U- shaped member carried by said end and central members and adapted to be pivotally supported on said brackets, and means for normally holding said end members in an extended position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HANS S. FLOM. 

